Aftermath and Recovery
by weasleyatheart27
Summary: This is the story of the missing 19 years, With relationships and hard decisions.
1. year 1: The day After

Chapter 1: The Day After

Harry woke up to sun shining in his eyes. Before he even opened his eyes, He thought, "Where am I?" He heard Ron snoring and opened his eyes to see his red canopy bed in Gryffindor Tower. The events of the previous day came flooding back to him. He sat straight up and looked around, half asleep. Ron had his arms around Hermione, her eyes open; she smiled at him and put her finger to her lips and then pointed to something next to Harry's bed. Only then did Harry notice there was a person with flaming red hair curled up in a chair next to his bed. Ginny. Her legs were tucked up under her, while her head was on her shoulder. Harry smiled and got out of bed, went over to the chair and picked Ginny up, laying her on the bed. Getting into bed with her, he saw her smile as she curled up into him. Harry smiled as he fell back asleep.

Harry wakes up to find himself alone, wondering if he just dreamt that Ginny was there. Just as he opens eyes the door to the dormitory opens, Hermione is coming through the door with a plate of food. She notices Harry's awake, "Oh good you're awake, Here I figured you wouldn't want to go into the Great Hall just yet," She says as she walks across the room to his bed.

"Hermione," Harry says, "We did it, we won" He stares at her in disbelief with a smile on his face, and then realization hits him. "He's gone, but so are too many others," Harry says putting his head in his hands "Why couldn't I have figured it out sooner, I could have saved them. They shouldn't have died for me."

Hermione grabs his shoulders and says, "You did everything possible, and you are not responsible for their deaths. They chose to fight, not just for you, but so Voldemort would never hurt the world again, Harry look at me!" She grabs his chin and makes him look at her. "You are not to blame for those deaths, Voldemort is!" Hermione sits on his bed next to him and pulls him into her shoulder as he cries.

Harry still crying into Hermione says, "What if they hate me? They are the only family I have left!" Hermione sits there silent confused for a moment.

"Who is going to hate you Harry? You saved us, and plus you have the Weasley's they have always thought of you as family," She says still confused.

Harry sits up and looks at her saying "That's who I'm talking about! Because of me Fred is dead they must hate me. Oh god Ron, where is he? Is he okay? Why aren't you with him? Where's Ginny? Does she hate me? I need to talk to her!" He gets up heading towards the door when Hermione stops him.

"Harry, Harry, wait! They don't hate you, the opposite actually. They are all worried about you, you've been asleep for two days." She sees a look of confusion on his face and quickly says, "No you didn't dream that, you woke up for a couple of minutes yesterday and yes Ginny was watching over you." Harry smiles slightly then looks at her confused again before she continues, "I told them that it might be best for me to come bring you food since we weren't sure how you would react, and I know how to calm you down or comfort you and plus I have been with you everyday for the past 6 months so your used to me."

Harry sits back down starting to eat; they sit there for a few minutes in silence as Harry slowly eats his way through his plate. When he finishes he looks up at Hermione and says, "So they don't hate me?" Hermione shakes her head, "Well, then I think its time," he says getting up. He walks over to the door and looks back to see Hermione still sitting on the bed. "Are you coming?" He asks. Hermione smiles and gets up to join him.

They slowly walk down the staircase; Hermione nervously looking at Harry while Harry stares straight ahead. When they finally reach the common room they see a group of people with flaming red hair sitting by the fire. Harry steps into the common room, Hermione stepping beside him, when someone from the group notices them. "Harry!" they all start talking to him at once. But Harry doesn't notice anything but Ginny, She smiles when she sees him and immediately gets up. Harry sees her running to him, and feels her colliding with him then it all goes black.


	2. Remembering

Chapter 2: Remembering

Harry wakes up to find himself in his four-poster bed in his old dormitory. He sits up and the first thing he sees is Ginny. She is in a chair, asleep, with her head on his bed. She stirs when Harry gets up, and seeing Harry up she says "Harry I would sit if I were you."

Harry looks at her confused, and starts to walk then gets dizzy and starts to fall. Ginny catches him and brings him back to the bed with help from Mrs. Weasley. "Harry stay put," Mrs. Weasley says once he's in bed, "You lost a lot of blood, and the isn't enough blood replenishing potion for everyone, so just lay down." Harry starts to protest but Mrs. Weasley cuts him off "You have done enough these past few months so… just lay down!" Harry can see she had been crying and lies down.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asks looking at her; she looks up at him with tears in her eyes, "Thank you, thank you for caring about me even if I am the reason Fred died."

Mrs. Weasley runs over to him crying and hugs him, "Oh harry you know I have always thought of you as one of my own!" She lets him go and takes his face in her hands saying, "You are not the reason Fred died, you are the reason the rest of my family is alive. Lily would be so proud of you! I am proud of you!" She walks out of the room smiling while crying.

Harry lays down not looking at Ginny who just sat and watched the whole exchange. "Harry?" She says finally, He looks over at her "How are you? Really? And I know you are going to say your fine but your not!" Harry is staring at her and all of a sudden takes her face in his hands and kisses her.

When they pull apart Harry starts crying, so Ginny pulls him into her and whispers into his ear, "Shhh, I'm right here, don't worry you are safe."

After a while Harry starts saying "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault; it's all my fault! I'm so sorry its' all my fault!" Crying even harder now he mumbles "No one should have died, if anyone me. Why am I still here? I died, why did I come back when so many others didn't? Why?"

Ginny pulls his face up and wipes his tears, staring at him, "What do you mean you died Harry? How could you have died, you mean you were actually dead in Hagrid's arms?" She says starting to get upset.

Harry looks at her saying "No I was not dead in Hagrid's arms." He saw Ginny sigh with relief before continuing, "I did die that night but I was alive then, and I heard you scream." Ginny starts to say something but he cuts her off "I will tell you everything another day, I just cant right now."

Harry puts his head in his hands and Ginny rubs his back and says "You can tell me when you are ready just please tell me everything. And Harry?" He looks up and she stares straight into his eyes while saying, "never leave me behind again."

Harry smiles and kisses her after they pull apart he says, "Never, and I will not leave you again until you order me away."

Ginny smiles and shakes her head laughing slightly while saying, "Yeah, because that's going to happen, come here." Harry smiles and leans into her, they kiss for a few minutes until Ginny pulls away and says, "I believe you are supposed to be laying down, Potter." Harry raises his eyebrow at her but obeys, when he's comfortable he looks at her and she climbs in next to him. They lay there kissing for a while until they fall asleep in each other's arms.


	3. Facing reality

Chapter 3: Facing Reality

Harry and Ginny are woken up by Ron yelling, "Oi, That's my sister you're sleeping with." Harry just looks at him wide-eyed, while Ginny just glares at him.

Hermione laughs saying to Ron, "Honestly Ronald, they were only sleeping and anyway Harry of all people deserves to be happy so leave him alone." Ron and Harry just stare at her, while Ginny is smiling at her. "What are you all staring at? Can I not defend two of my best friends from my boyfriend?" Harry looks between Ron and Hermione and smiles, while Ginny is beaming next to him.

Ron blushes and says, "Food is downstairs in the common room, only some people are down there, the others are in the great hall but none of us can go to the great hall just yet." Harry nods his understanding before Ron continues, "When you're done fooling around with my sister come join us." Harry just stares at him with his mouth open.

Ron turns to leave when Ginny says, "Ron!" He turns around and Ginny takes Harry's face in her hands and passionately kisses him, when they break apart she turns to Ron with a smirk on her face. Harry blushes and looks anywhere but at Ron, while Ron is disgusted.

"Bloody Hell that's my sister!" Ron yells and storms from the room.

Hermione follows him and when the door closes Harry look at Ginny and says, "Its about time they figured out they liked each other!"

Ginny laughs saying, "Yeah, everyone knew but them!" She gets up and holds her hand out to help him up saying, "Come on, let's go get food!"

Harry laughs taking her hand, "You are just like your brother," He says while Ginny slaps him. "Its not a bad thing!" He says defensively.

Ginny laughs saying, "Come on lets go eat." They walk down the stairs hand in hand, when they reach the bottom everyone in the common room looks at them. The silence is almost deafening, Ginny asks, "What?" Then she looks at her family and all of her brothers and even her father are staring at her and Harry's hands. She looks down at their intertwined hands as Harry starts to pull his hand out of hers, but she grabs his hand harder keeping it in place.

Harry walks across the room with Ginny in tow, all eyes still on them, and stops in front of the Weasley's. Mrs. Weasley gets up and gives Harry a huge hug saying, "Oh Harry how are you feeling? Are you hungry? You look like you haven't eaten in months!" She pulls away and looks at him, "You look better than you did when you passed out, but that's probably from a good sleep but you need food."

Harry smiles slightly and says, "I have eaten, barely but we ate, plus I am not sure how much I can keep down right now." He looks around at the piles of food on the tables set up around the common room. "And the sleep helped but I'm a long way away from being okay." He sits down, with Ginny squeezing into the chair with him as everyone goes back to what they were doing, and conversation fills the air.

"Harry," Mr. Weasley says, "Umm… What is going on with you and my daughter?" He raises his eyebrows and looks between Harry and Ginny, all of the Weasley's lean in, even George who had been sitting in the corner not talking to anyone.

Harry looks at Ginny and blushes, saying, "Well…"


	4. Telling The Weasley's

Chapter 4: telling the Weasley's

"Harry," Mr. Weasley says, "Umm… What is going on with you and my daughter?" He raises his eyebrows and looks between Harry and Ginny, all of the Weasley's lean in, even George who had been sitting in the corner not talking to anyone.

Harry looks at Ginny and blushes, saying, "Well…"

Ginny interrupts him saying, "Dad, I think its been pretty obvious that I've liked Harry since I was little, is it that much of a surprise that he likes me?" Looking around the room she sees all her brothers in shock while Hermione and Mrs. Weasley are smiling knowingly.

starts to say something but Charlie beats him to it, "I'm just surprised he finally asked you out, I mean yes he defeated Voldemort but having to deal with all us and dad," He says looking around at his brothers then back at Harry, "That takes guts." He concludes.

Ginny smiles at her older brother while, Harry looks down and scratches his scar saying, "Well, we kind of were dating last year but…"

Mrs. Weasley hits her husbands on the arm saying, "I told you Arthur, I told you something was going on last year, I told you!"

Mr. Weasley laughs rubbing his arm, "Yes you were right, I just didn't want to accept my little girl growing up."

Ginny blushes, saying, "Yeah well… wait Ron knew."

Everyone turns to Ron as he looks up at them saying, "Yeah, and I'm surprised you took him back," Everyone looks between Ginny, Harry and Ron confused, "He broke your heart, and as soon as he defeats Voldemort you go right back to him."

Harry looks at Ron surprised, "You know why I had to break up with her, Voldemort would have found out and used her to get to me! It was bad enough because he knew you were with me. And I couldn't have let her come with us, she had the trace on her and it was too dangerous!"

Ginny looks at Harry and says, "I get why to do what you did but one question," He nods slowly, "Why was it too dangerous for me but not for you, Ron, or Hermione? Do you think I'm not good enough, because I fought just like you."

Harry is staring at her with his mouth hanging open, "Ginny I know how powerful you are, trust me. Its not that, I would have been worried sick at all times because you could get hurt because if me. I was already so worried for Ron and Hermione; I don't think I could have handled having you there as well. I thought you were safe here, and when you didn't come back I was so worried, but I knew you were okay from Bill and Fleur."

Mr. Weasley interrupts him saying, "Wait Bill and Fleur?"

Hermione speaks up this time, "After we were captured we went to Shell cottage so we could plan and not be worried about snatchers catching us again."

Percy intercedes this time, "Wait captured? What happened to you guys?"

Mrs. Weasley looks at the three of them saying, "I would like to find out what happened to you the entire time you were gone. You look like you guys barley ate."

Fleur speaks up saying, "You should have seen them when they came to us, they were even skinnier."

Ron, Hermione, and Harry looked at each other and nodded. "You really want to hear what happened?" Harry asks. They all nodded

Ron looks at his family and says, "Just a warning, it can get pretty bad."

George looks at the trio, "We just went through something terrible I think we can handle it."

Harry looks at them and they are all nodding, "Okay, so when the wedding was attacked we apparated to Charlesbury Avenue and ….."


End file.
